Senshin Judo Team returned from the Leinster Open on 11 October with three golds, three silvers and four bronzes. Jacob Moore, Oisin Whyte and Connor Rodriguez led the team’s gold-medal performances, with further podium finishes across minor, pre-cadet and cadet competition.
Jacob and Oisin each won a minor title and added pre-cadet bronze. Mark Duane reached the podium in two age groups, taking silver at both pre-cadet and cadet level. Those multiple-category performances were a particular highlight of the team’s day.
Minor results
Gold: Jacob Moore (boys, under 42kg); Oisin Whyte (boys, under 60kg).
Silver — finalists: Finbar Sayers Salas (boys, under 42kg).
Bronze: Kristina Nikolaeva (girls, over 48kg).
Pre-cadet results
Gold: Connor Rodriguez (boys, under 50kg).
Silver — finalists: Mark Duane (boys, under 55kg).
Bronze: Jacob Moore (boys, under 42kg); Oisin Whyte (boys, under 55kg).
Cadet results
Silver — finalists: Mark Duane (boys, under 55kg).
Bronze: Adam Murphy (boys, under 66kg).
Two age groups, two different challenges
Jacob and Oisin's results give this report a particularly interesting shape. Each won a minor title and also reached the pre-cadet podium. Moving between age divisions changes the competitive setting; a success in one draw does not carry into the next. Their two medals each therefore recognise separate outcomes, rather than an extension of a single result.
Mark's silvers show another version of that challenge. Reaching the podium in both pre-cadet and cadet competition added depth to the team's performance. Connor's pre-cadet gold, Finbar's minor silver and the bronzes for Kristina and Adam broadened the day's achievements across the team.
The medal total is ten awards, rather than ten different medallists. That distinction matters because the multiple-category performances were among the strongest features of Senshin's day. The individual results show how those awards were earned across the age groups.
A regional event with a clear place in the programme
Events such as the Leinster Open give developing athletes an opportunity to apply their judo outside their usual training group. An unfamiliar opponent changes the problem: movement, distance and preferred grips may feel different, even when the techniques themselves are well known. That is part of the value of travelling to compete.
These results establish the team's placings. They do not tell us which throws decided contests or how close individual exchanges were. The important story is already substantial without embellishment: three title winners, athletes medalling in more than one age group, and a team with podium performances from minors through cadets.
Where a new judoka fits
For a beginner watching these achievements, regional competition may seem a long way from a first class. The connection is built through ordinary training: learning movement, receiving instruction, practising with partners and gradually applying techniques with greater independence. Senshin's Grand Prix offers a club competition setting before interested athletes explore wider opportunities.
Families do not have to choose a competition route when joining. A child can enjoy learning, work towards grades and discover their own ambitions over time. For those who do develop an appetite for events, the Development Squad and Junior Competition Team provide further stages to discuss with coaches.
If this report has sparked your child's interest in judo, ask Senshin about a free beginner trial in Athenry or Briarhill. The first target can be much simpler than a medal: finding a class they look forward to attending.